Central New York students and parents will soon find out how their school plans to comply with the state’s cell phone ban during the school day. Gov. Kathy Hochul met with administrators and teachers on Monday in North Syracuse to discuss banning mobile devices. It’s one of at least 400 school districts that have submitted policies before Friday’s deadline. She said the immediate benefits will have kids better focused, and more likely to take part in school activities.
“Even a drama teacher would tell me that students won’t try out for drama anymore, they won’t try out for band because someone is going to capture a video and post it and mock them out," she said. "So, that is enormous peer pressure that’s out there that will be gone.”
Hochul said another benefit? Students will take time to meet new friends and socialize during lunch, instead of scrolling through social media or watching online videos. Superintendent Terry Ward said the district decided several ways to secure students’ phones.
“And in the end we actually went with a pouch which is something a student can keep with them throughout the day but, it’s a locked pouch,” he said.
Ward said the district is still figuring out the logistics of how to unlock the students’ phones in a timely manner by the end of the school day. He said his own kids aren’t allowed to use their phones one day a week and he notices they play board games and get along. He hopes to see the same improved behavior in students. Schools must have their distraction-free policy finalized and published by August 1st. Click here to see North Syracuse's policies.
